Kagome's Choice
by c-dog
Summary: How will Inuyasha react to Kagome's new look? Is she really a hanyou, or something more? (InuKag with lots of fluff) R and R Please!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One  
  
As the light poured into the room, Kagome's eyes slowly opened as she regained consciousness.   
  
She turned on her side, trying to remember where she was. She suddenly gasped in pain and fell onto her back. 'Why does my side hurt so badly?' she thought. She slowly sat up, hand at her side, exploring her fresh wound.   
  
"What are you doing awake already?" asked a familiar voice. "Lady Kaede!" Kagome was glad to know that she was with someone she knew. She glanced at the old woman who seemed to be mixing some sort of herbs.  
  
"You should rest child, you're still wounded from the attack yesterday..."   
  
A look of confusion covered Kagome's face. "What attack? I don't remember anything..."   
  
"I suspected as much, you did take a pretty hard hit to the head. You're lucky to be alive after the demon you faced yesterday. Thank gods Inuyasha was there to protect you!"  
  
"What demon? What happened? Is Inuyasha alright?!" Kagoma tried to stand but fell back in pain.   
  
"Calm yourself! Inuyasha is fine! So are the others. I could ask them to come in if you'd like."  
  
Kagome excitedly nodded, then looked down, noticing that she wasn't... properly clothed... "Maybe I should get dressed first..."  
  
"Put this on." The woman threw a linen tunic looking robe for her to wear.  
  
After she put it on, Lady Kaede left the room, and her presence was quickly replaced by four others.  
  
"Kagome! Are you alright? I was so worried!" cried Sango as she embraced Kagome, who winced in pain. "Oh gods, you're hurt!"  
  
"It's nothing..." said Kagome with a look of relief after she had been released.  
  
It was then that Kagome looked at the two boys and the kit. They all looked concerned and she smiled bleakly at them to show that she wasn't in pain, though she was.  
  
Kagome wondered why they hadn't said anything when she decided to break the silence.  
  
"What happened yesterday? I don't remember a thing. Lady Kaede told me that there was a demon, that's all I know."  
  
"You don't remember anything?" asked Miroku. "I wish I could forget it..."  
  
"Well," interrupted Inuyasha, "I guess I'll tell you since these idiots would just as soon forget it. We were walking to Kaede's from the well since you had just returned when you said that you sensed jewel shards. A demon came running out of the forest and came straight towards us. You took Shippo and hid him in the brush, then ran back. Miroku ran to fight the demon, but was losing horribly. He even tried his wind tunnel, but it didn't work." he sighed. "Sango tried to fight it off but she wasn't making much progress either. I stood in front of it and when it came at me I dodged, but the bastard still hit me. I was down for a while until I heard something and sat up. You were attacking the demon by yourself, but you looked different. You looked like a hanyou, hell you even smelled like a hanyou too! You had ears and everything..." he recalled. His eyes slowly rose to meet hers, then went to the top of her head.  
  
Kagome sat with a blank stare on her face. "How could I become a hanyou you liar! This isn't a funny thing to joke about."  
  
"You don't believe me?" chuckled Inuyahsa. "See for yourself." Kagome's eyes widened as her hands slowly rose to the top of her head, and she felt two fuzzy ears protruding through her hair  
  
"Oh my gods! This can't be happening!" Sango grabbed her by the shoulders. "Kagome it's not so bad! We can probably find a way to change you back and..."  
  
"Change me back?! Why?!" laughed Kagome.  
  
They all stared at her in disbelief, particularly Inuyasha. 'What the hell...?'  
  
"I can't believe it! It finally happened!"  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?!" cried Inuyasha, a look of utter confusion on his face.  
  
"A few weeks ago I had a dream where I was surrounded by blackness and heard a voice... It told me that I would show my true form soon if I kept fighting. I didn't believe it but look at me now!" she cried gleefully.  
  
"You want to be a hanyou?" gasped Inuyasha.  
  
"Of course I do! Who wouldn't!"  
  
Lady Kaede entered the room carrying a large metal pot which appeared to be steaming. "You must all leave the room now so I can treat Kagome. She'll be fine in a few minutes, now go wait outside." she said as she nudged them out the door. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
Kagome left the hut to find Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Inuyasha were standing by a tree staring at her. She walked towards them, feeling better now that she was wearing her old school outfit.   
  
"Hey guys, whatcha wanna do?"  
  
"Aren't you still hurt?" Sango asked, looking her over.  
  
"Nope, Lady Kaede really knows what she's doing with that herb stuff." Kagome chuckled.  
  
"I still can't believe it!" Shippo said, which was soon followed by three "Neither can I!"s .  
  
"Hey Inuyahsa, wanna show me how everything, um, works? I want to get used to being a hanyou." called Kagome, who was doing cartwheels in the meadow ahead of them.  
  
"Hehe... she forgets that she's wearing a skirt..." giggled Miroku. *SMACK!*  
  
Miroku had been hit by Sango and Inuyasha at the same time and now lay in a crumpled heap on the ground with a red handprint on his right cheek and a bump on his head, knocked out cold.  
  
"Perv!" "Lecher!"  
  
Kagome skidded to a stop when she saw Miroku. "What did he.."  
  
"Come on Kagome, I haven't got all day!" yelled Inuyasha as he ran ahead of her into the forest. She gladly took the opportunity to test out her new speed as she sped after him.  
  
'Wow!' breathed Kagome to herself, 'I can't believe how fast I can run! This has got to be the greatest feeling ever! I can smell everything around me too... hmmm, I smell all kinds of stuff, but what's that? It smells so good...' She skidded to a stop, causing Inuyasha to turn and look at her.  
  
"What are you stopping for? Don't tell me you're tired already!" He slowly approached her and glared at her. "What are you doing?"  
  
She sniffed around to see where the smell was coming from, until she turned to face him and realized... "Inuyasha you smell really good!"   
  
He blushed as she grasped his shirt, pulling herself closer to his body and breathing deeply.  
  
"Um.. thanks.." he said, not trying to sound too eager. 'Wow this feels great... I hope she doesn't let go...'  
  
Kagome realized what she was doing and pushed away, giggling. "Hehe, sorry." She wasn't really ready to let go, but felt she was a little close... besides, she didn't like him like that or anything! Why had she hugged him?  
  
'Damn' thought Inuyasha as she stepped away from him.  
  
"Sorry.. . you just smell good..." she whispered, all while trying to hide her blushing face by looking at her feet.  
  
"It must be weird to have to adjust to all of this so fast." He said, trying to change the subject.  
  
"Yeah," she said, "but I love it!" After saying this she jumped 20 feet to an open branch calling to Inuyasha "Catch me if you can!"  
  
'Just wait,' he chuckled to himself, 'I'll get you sooner than you think.'   
  
She leapt from tree to tree, laughing the whole time and checking to see how far behind he was every few seconds.   
  
After about thirty seconds of this she turned and found that he was gone... *THUD*  
  
She crashed into something warm that wrapped it's arms around her.  
  
"Jeez Inuyasha, you scared the crap out of me!" she cried.  
  
"Hahaha, I knew you weren't that fast, and you thought you could outrun me!" he laughed.  
  
'Why do I love having him hold me like this?'  
  
'I never realized how beautiful her she was before, I guess her hanyou ears and gold eyes really set it off...'  
  
They were still holding on when they both looked at the other. Kagome's breathing sped up and her heart was pounding in her chest. 'Why do I feel this way? I know he doesn't.'  
  
'What is wrong me? Why have I never seen her look this beautiful? Am I falling... no way!' thought Inuyahsa.  
  
As they stared into each other's eyes their faces moved closer together as his hands moved slowly down her back and came to rest around her waist.  
  
'Wow look at those eyes! I never noticed how easily you can get lost in them... I never noticed how hot he is either...' Kagome closed her eyes and the world around her seemed to disappear as her lips met his.  
  
'Is this really happening?' he thought as he slowly closed his eyes and raised a hand to run it through her hair.  
  
"Are we interrupting something?" laughed Miroku as he, Sango, and Shippo looked up to the branch above them with mouths hanging open in disbelief.  
  
Both Kagome and Inuyasha jumped back in both surprise and embarrassment. Both of their faces were beet red and they looked away at the sky. The others below them were trying hard to stifle a laugh.  
  
"We were just... talking..." said Kagome as she jumped off the branch and landed delicately on her feet.  
  
"I've never done any talking that involved mouth to mouth contact" Sango said while smirking.  
  
"You should talk to me sometime." Whispered Miroku as he smelled her hair. *Slap*  
  
"Let's just head back to the village." Grunted Inuyasha as he landed on the ground. "Wait what was that?!"  
  
"I heard it too!" yelled Kagome. "And I sense 3 jewel shards..."  
  
"Well, what are we waiting for?" cried Sango.  
  
They all took off down the trail and ran out into a clearing where they found a wolf demon, his black hair pulled into a high ponytail, fighting a woman holding a fan and with her hair pulled back with a feather... 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
Kagome and the others watched silently as Kagura the wind sorceress was fighting the wolf demon.  
  
"Who is he...?" muttered Kagome to herself, yet loud enough that Inuyasha could hear her with his demon senses.  
  
"Keh. That guy's a weak excuse for a demon. I hope he loses."  
  
'Wow that guy's kinda cute...' thought Kagome. She looked him over, a small smile forming at the corners of her mouth.  
  
"Do you think he needs help?" asked Sango.  
  
"I do not need anyone's help, especially not dog turd's over there!" cried an exasperated Kouga as he tried to fight past Kagura's winds to kick her.   
  
"Not you weaklings again! I thought I got rid of you days ago! That'll teach me to leave a demon to do my dirty work..." sighed Kagura while pulling a feather out of her hair. When she did this is grew about fifty times bigger and she rode it away. 'What happened to that Kagome girl? Where was she? And who was that new hanyou with them?'  
  
"Look what you did dog turd! I could've finished her! You're such a..." his rantings fell silent as his eyes rounded on Kagome, who he was instantaneously next to.  
  
"Hello, who are you? My name is Kouga, and I'm a wolf demon." He said while putting his arm around her waist.  
  
"Um..." Kagome said before being cut off.  
  
"Don't touch her you dirty wolf! She doesn't have to talk to a weakling like you if she doesn't want to! Come on Kagome..." cried Inuyasha as he pried her from Kouga's grip and tried to pull her in the opposite direction.   
  
"Inuyasha we were just talking! Honestly, sometimes you are SO childish!" cried Kagome as she pulled out of his grip. Everyone turned to the direction where a long lone wolf howl was heard.   
  
"My men need me, I must go. Fair Kagome, I do hope you will grace me with your prescence again..." Kouga said before bounding off towards the call.  
  
'Who is this guy?' thought Kagome as her cheeks turned a pale pink. "Keh what a poor excuse for a demon!" growled Inuyasha, not noticing her carnation cheeks.  
  
"Let's just go back to the village now." Said Shippo.  
  
"Good idea. I could use a massage right about now..." smirked Miroku while putting his hand on Sango's backside. *SMACK*  
  
"You are such a pervert Miroku!" yelled Sango, turning so nobody would see the smile forming on her face. "Let's just go..."  
  
They all slowly made their way to the village, dragging their feet as they went. The sun was setting and it was starting to get dark. When they got to the village, the others got ready to retire while Kagome stayed outside. 'Why aren't I tired?' thought Kagome. 'Oh well I might as well look around.' She jumped to the roof and took off, bounding from roof to roof like she had seen Inuyasha do so many times before. When the roofs ended, she found a large tree that had to be at least 200 feet tall. She jumped from branch to branch before stopping near the top. She sat down and immediately felt a sense of calm come over her. 'So this is why Inuyahsa sits in trees all the time.... It really is relaxing."  
  
Seconds after she had closed her eyes she heard leaves rustling. A clawed hand came out from behind her and covered her mouth so she couldn't scream. She stuggled against it, kicking and throwing her arms around, until she looked up to find a hanyou with a small grin on his face who released her.  
  
"INUYASHA HOW DARE YOU SCARE ME LIKE THAT!" screamed Kagome. "I THOUGHT YOU WERE A DEMON!"  
  
"Sorry, that wimpy wolf isn't here" he replied coldly.  
  
"What are you talking about Inuyasha? I don't even know the guy. Besides I have you here and..." She blushed when she realized what she was saying.  
  
A small smirk formed at the side of his mouth. 'She's so cute when she's mad. Wait! What am I saying? I don't like her like that!' He turned away.  
  
"What are you thinking about, Inu?" she asked, amused by his facial expressions.  
  
"Um nothing... it's just... I hope you don't like that stupid weakling, because he's trying to get the jewel shards too, and I don't want him to slow us down." He turned to look at her, pretending to be angry to hide his emotions.  
  
'That's all I'll ever be to him, a shard detector. Nothing more... I thought he liked me for a second there.' Kagome frowned, then turned to hide her eyes, which were becoming glassy and teary.  
  
"Yeah..." she mumbled. Her throat was starting to ache from holding back the tears. She quietly tried to stifle a sniffle.  
  
"Kagome...? What's wrong?" Inuyahsa asked, looking concerned, as he put her arm around her shoulders pulling her closer.  
  
"It's just...," she was sick of lying about it. "Do you like me Inuyahsa? Cuz sometimes I think you feel the same way I do and other times you make it sound like you couldn't care less if I just went home... not that I can now since I'm a hanyou... I don't think my mom would really understand that..."  
  
For several seconds he just sat there, shocked at what he had heard. 'Did she just say she liked me?'  
  
"You... you like me?" he managed to stutter.  
  
"Oh come on Inuyasha, don't play dumb! How could I make it any more obvious?!"   
  
"You forget how dense I can be." He chuckled as he pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I like you too." He was glad he hadn't been the first to say it.  
  
"You do? Mmmmm... you still smell good..." she muttered while putting her face into his chest, inhaling his scent. 'He smells like pine...'  
  
Inuyasha was mentally battling with himself. 'What do I do now?!' 'Kiss her you idiot!' 'But...' 'Just do it you dumbass!' 'Well... here goes nothing...'  
  
He took his hand and raised her face by gently using his forefinger to lift her chin from his shirt. "Gods, you're beautiful Kagome..." he accidentally said out loud.  
  
She giggled and moved her face in towards his, closing her eyes. He closed his eyes and their lips met to form a slow soft kiss, which soon changed to passionate French kissing. They were both in heaven as their surroundings seemed to disappear and the only sound that could be heard was Kagome purring and Inuyasha breathing heavily.   
  
This continued for a minute or two before Kagome could feel herself changing. She felt all hot, yet still felt like she could go for hours before stopping.  
  
Inuyahsa was changing too. 'This is the best feeling ever...'  
  
Their eyes quickly turned from a deep aubern to a blood red, with two blue stripes appearing on each cheek. They continued kissing until he pinned her to the trunk, letting his hands run all over her body.  
  
'Don't let this end...' she thought dreamily, her senses being overtaken by his touch, smell, and taste.  
  
"Where are they? Kagome! Inuyasha!" called Sango, before looking up and seeing the two go at it. She gasped, then giggled.  
  
They broke away at the sound of Sango's cry. Both looked toward her and lowered their ears. A low growl emitted from the back of Inuyasha's throat, making Sango and Miroku step back.  
  
"Come on." Said Inuyasha as he picked up Kagome bridal style and leaped from tree to tree until they reached a clearing.  
  
"Where were we?" he smirked. 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
  
Inuyahsa set Kagome slowly onto the ground, never breaking his gaze with her. She slowly looked around to see if all was clear, then got a mischievous grin on her face and pounced on him, pinning him to the ground. He wrestled with her until he was on top, then kissed her hard on the mouth.   
  
She responded by letting a low purr escape her lips to let him know to keep going. The demon blood they had took over them completely as they were engulfed in lust.   
  
Kagome ran her fingers through his hair, stopping cautiously when she reached his ears. She threw caution to the wind and stroked them slowly, tickling them. Inuyasha responded with a low moan that only a fellow hanyou could hear.   
  
'I knew he liked to have his ears pet!' she thought triumphantly. She barely noticed that he was slowly running his hand up her shirt...  
  
'Oh gods please don't let this be a dream! It's like I always imagined it would be.' Thought the horny half demon. 'I hope this never ends...'  
  
Suddenly she pulled away and rolled out from underneath him. He quickly looked at her, angry that she would just leave him like that. He smirked when he caught sight of her.  
  
"Come on Inu, I think there's a hot spring nearby!" she yelled over her shoulder as she took off into the forest, snickering the whole time.  
  
Inuyasha looked after her, his eyes still crimson. "Damn tease," he sniggered, racing after her.  
  
When he finally caught up with her, he was shocked at what he saw. There in a steaming pool of water was Kagome, yet her clothes were in a heap on the side of a boulder.  
  
"What's the matter? Scared?" she mocked, noticing his wide eyed stare.  
  
"You wish..." growled Inuyahsa as he quickly disrobed.  
  
Kagome's eyes, which had resumed their amber tone, fluttered open. "What a night..." she muttered.   
  
She looked up at Inuyahsa, who was holding her firmly, his chin on top of her head. They were still in the hot spring. 'I wonder what time it is...' she wondered. She felt Inuyasha shift and looked up into a fair of striking gold eyes.   
  
"Mornin' beautiful" he yawned, still trying to wake.  
  
"Hehe, some night, ne? Not that I regret it, I had a great time..." she grinned while stroking his chest slowly.  
  
"Come on, let's go." He said abruptly. She looked somewhat confused at his eagerness to go, but he assured her that he was simply hungry.  
  
"Alright... I'll make you some ramen when we get back to Kaede's. By the way, we didn't, umm... go all the way, did we? I don't seem to remember much from when we left the tree..." she asked as she stepped out of the water, shivering. She found her clothes and put them on. "Hehe no, I wasn't sure if you were ready or not..." he added. He knew that they hadn't, he would've been able to smell it on them. However, he didn't remember much either... 'Oh gods look at her! She's perfect... At least I know she feels the same way.'   
  
He watched her dress then slowly pulled himself out of the pool and smirked as she stood staring at him, dripping there. He laughed then put on his clothes and hugged her from behind.   
  
"I love you." He said bluntly. He could feel her tense up, and she turned to meet his gaze. She leaned in to hug him and whispered in his ear, "I love you too, Inu."   
  
She slowly pulled out of their embrace and lightly licked him on the cheek. He picked her up, not that she needed his help getting back to the village, but out of habit, and bounded towards the smell of humans.  
  
"Where were you two?" asked Miroku with a grin on his face. He expected to be hit, but Sango just giggled.  
  
"We, umm..." Kagome said as she began to blush, but was quickly cut off.  
  
"We don't have to tell them anything Kagome, let them think their perverted thoughts." Inuyasha answered. He finished his ramen and pulled Kagome outside with him. "Can we talk?" he asked.  
  
"Um... sure." She said while catching sight of Miroku, Sango, and Shippo staring out the windows at them. "Maybe we should go someplace more private though."  
  
"Of course" he replied, while throwing her on his back and began leaping into the forest in search of a more private area. They reached a large tree and went to the highest branch that would support their weight. They sat down next to each other and she leaned into him, resting her face on his chest and inhaling his scent deeply.   
  
"What did you want to talk about?" she asked softly.  
  
"Did you mean what you said? About you loving me?"  
  
She pulled away so she could look him in the eyes. "Yeah.. why? Didn't you?"  
  
"Of course I did, it's just that..." He looked away from her. "I love you a lot and I was wondering if you could..." he continued to mumble incoherently.   
  
"What? I couldn't hear the last part."  
  
"Will you be my mate? I understand if you don't want to."  
  
She was surprised to hear him ask this. "You mean, be your wife?"   
  
"If that's what you human's call it then yes. Just remember, if we mate, it lasts for life. There's no going back." He slowly looked at her.  
  
"Oh Inuyasha, I love you so much and would like nothing more than to be your mate!" she cried, hugging him as hard as she could.  
  
"Really?! " he asked, looking down into her eyes excitedly.  
  
"Yes, really." 


	5. Chapter 5

(I just wanted to say that I know Kaede says 'Ye' instead of you, but it's so DAMN annoying! LoL enjoy the story and review!)  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Inuyasha could feel his heart start to beat noticeably faster. 'Oh Gods, I can't believe it! She said yes!'  
  
"Inu? Are you okay?" she asked, noticing his heavy breathing.  
  
"Yeah.. I'm just so... do you really love me?" Her smile, followed by a "Silly Inuyasha!" told him everything he needed to know, yet she continued.  
  
"Of course I do! I always have. I want to be with you, forever."  
  
She hugged him tightly and nestled herself closely to his chest. A warm feeling came over him. 'That's it!' he thought. 'That's how she's different from Kikyo... she'll never leave me! And she'd never try to kill me... not to mention that she's way hotter!' he mentally added with a smirk. He smiled to himself, then heard a small squeak. He looked down and noticed that she had fallen asleep.  
  
"Still tired?" he laughed, waking her gently.  
  
"Yeah, I guess so. I just feel so comfortable around you..." she whispered. She nodded off again.  
  
"I love you Kagome, don't ever forget that." He said, before gently picking her up and carrying her back to the village.  
  
"What happened to Kagome?!" screamed Sango when she saw Inuyasha carrying Kagome. She ran towards them, closely followed by the kitsune, the monk, and the small cat, Kirara, that Sango always kept by her side.  
  
"Will you shut up already?! You're going to wake her up!" he hissed, leaning in, showing them that she was alright.  
  
"Sleeping already?" laughed Miroku. "You must really be tiring her out Inuyasha!" He added a wink for effect.  
  
"IS THAT ALL YOU EVER THINK ABOUT?! I SWEAR YOU ARE THE BIGGEST PERVERT I HAVE EVER MET!" cried Sango, waking Kagome.  
  
"Wha...what time is it?" she yawned, still waking.  
  
"It's almost noon, love. I have to go hunt for our lunch but I will return shortly." Inuyasha said, before letting her stand on her own.  
  
The others stood with their jaws dropping. "Did he just say... LOVE?!"  
  
"Well what else would I call my mate-to-be?" was his reply before taking off to find fresh meat, a grin spreading across his face from viewing their reaction.  
  
"Kagome?! What did he just say? MATE-TO-BE?!" squealed Sango, running up and grabbing Kagome's hands.  
  
"We decided to get married." Kagome said bluntly, waiting for their reactions.  
  
Miroku and Shippo fainted, while Kirara ran to Sango's side, mewing happily.  
  
"I knew it!" Sango screeched. "I knew you two would end up together! It's just too good to be true!"  
  
"I know Sango, I know!" giggled Kagome as she hugged her best friend. Miroku sat up, looked at the girls, then fainted again.  
  
When Inuyahsa returned with a deer for their lunch, he received many large grins pointed in his direction. Apparently the whole village knew by now. He was in such a good mood that his senses were delayed, and he didn't smell that foul smell he knew all too well until he was meters away from the hut. He dashed to the hut, leaving the deer in front to be cleaned by Sango. As he walked in, he saw something that made him gasp.  
  
"Kouga I'm sorry, it's okay! You'll be fine!" Kagome exclaimed, trying to comfort the crying wolf demon.  
  
"But... I loved you Kagome! How could you leave me for that... that... stupid hanyou! I'm a demon!"  
  
Inuyasha was just about to say something when Kagome beat him to it.   
  
"In case you haven't noticed, I too am a 'stupid hanyou'." She huffed, not noticing her future mate in the doorway.  
  
"MY stupid hanyou." Inuyasha said as he walked up to her and the howling demon. She gave him a feeble smile and turned to Kouga.   
  
"I know you love me, but I'm sorry, I don't feel the same way."  
  
He rose to his feet, obviously mortified that Inuyasha had seen him crying.   
  
"I... I will miss you Kagome. If this bastard ever treats you wrong or hurts you in any way, come straight to me." He said, glaring at Inuyasha.  
  
"Goodbye Kouga." she said, hugging him briefly. And with that, he tore out of the hut, wiping his tears away.  
  
"Poor guy... he must be so embarrassed, you seeing him cry and all..." she started.  
  
"He'll be okay." Inuyasha replied, hugging her and nuzzling her neck.   
  
"Lunch is ready! Come on gu..." Sango said as she walked in the door, eyeing the two as they embraced and smiling widely. "Guess I'll have to get used to that."  
  
Kagome dabbed her face with a napkin and slowly stood. "Oh my gosh I'm so full! Wanna go for a walk Inu?"  
  
"Sure." He replied, grabbing her hand and letting her lead him to a well beaten path leading to the forest.  
  
After they had left Miroku turned to Sango. "He sure is different now isn't he?"   
  
"I think he isn't mean anymore because he doesn't feel like he's constantly trying to win her affections, he already has them." She looked over to Miroku, who was staring at her chest.  
  
*Slap*  
  
"I guess some people never change..."she muttered as she stood and left.  
  
While they walked down the path, Inuyahsa and Kagome held hands. They both looked up at the trees that stood over them, taking in their beauty. The sun was slowly setting and fireflies surrounded them, like little moving stars.  
  
'I wonder what she's thinking....'  
  
"Inuyashsa, when are we going to mate?"  
  
He gulped, surprised at how blunt she had been. "Umm..."  
  
"Hehe, sorry. I guess I'm a little anxious..." She grinned at him.   
  
"Oh really?" he smirked. "And just why would that be?"  
  
She softly touched his arm and looked into his eyes.  
  
"Because I have the sudden urge to...." She abruptly stopped talking and took off into the woods.  
  
He grinned and took after her, thinking to himself. 'I swear, that woman will be the end of me.' 


	6. Chapter 6

(Do you like the story?! I hope so! That's the only reason I'm posting it... I already know what's gonna happen, so this is all for you! Keep reviewing and I'll keep posting!)  
  
Chapter 6  
  
As she ran, Kagome could hear every sound around her. She could hear a gurgling sound, a nearby river, a chirping sound, the crickets in the tall grass, and a rustling sound, which was Inuyahsa behind her. Or so she thought...  
  
"Come on Inuyasha! I know you're faster than that!" she yelled, yet when she heard no reply, she skidded to a stop.   
  
"I...Inuyahsa?" Her ears focused on every sound that she could grasp, but none of them came close to resembling her hanyou partner. She did, however, hear a low raspy voice that DEFINITLY wasn't Inuyahsa's.  
  
"Where do you think you're going?"  
  
She slowly turned and only gaped at what she saw...   
  
"Y...y...you? she stuttered. "What are you doing here?" "You're coming with me." was the intruder's only reply.  
  
It was Kouga.  
  
Inuyasha slowly opened his eyes and sat up. 'What the hell? What happened? I remember running after Kagome... then... what happened after that?' He rubbed his aching head.   
  
Suddenly he remembered what he had saw before he had been knocked out.   
  
"Kouga!" he yelled, his eyes flashing blood red. Then he heard a scream, Kagome's scream.   
  
"Damnit!" was his only reply as he flew off down the trail leading towards her cry for help.  
  
"No! Kouga go away! What are you doing?!" cried the terrified girl as she backed into a tree.   
  
"You haven't mated yet. I can smell it. You're untouched." he smirked, almost to himself, as he looked her over with a look of hunger in his eyes. He slowly closed the gap between them.   
  
"Kouga stop, you're better than this! Where's the Kouga I know?! The sweet guy who always tried to save me?" she asked.  
  
"He died when you rejected him. I'm the only one here left... just you and me...."  
  
Her mind raced. 'Oh Gods, what do I do now?! Where's Inuyahsa?! I may be a hanyou now, but I don't think I'm strong enough to take on a full grown demon by myself! I guess I have to try... What other choice do I have?'  
  
As he came closer his hands began to reach out for her. She tried to run, but with every turn she took, Kouga was there, glaring at her. He was always a step ahead of her. 'Damn he's too fast!' she thought.   
  
"Kouga I'm warning you, you'd better get away while you can. Inuyasha will be coming for me any second now and he's gonna..."  
  
"Don't worry, I took care of it. He won't be coming any time soon. He's too late anyways." He growled as he pounced, pinning her arms to a tree rather painfully. She winced, and she swore that for one second, his eyes looked remorseful, almost caring. A moment later, his eyes were filled with the same lust as before. '  
  
Did I just imagine that? Wait a minute, what did he mean 'I took care of it?'! Is Inuyahsa alright?'  
  
"INUYASHA! INUYASHAAAA!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, more worried for him than herself.  
  
"Kagome!" came a voice behind Kouga. She couldn't see because he was in the way, but she knew it was Inuyasha.  
  
"Inuyasha? Inuyasha help he's not being himself!" she cried, obviously still terrified.  
  
Kouga tightened his grip on her wrists and turned his head to look at him.  
  
"She's mine, dog turd. Now leave or I'll have to kill you."  
  
Kagome's eyes flashed a deep crimson and she bared her fangs. 'His? Oh, hell no! I know he didn't just say I was his!'   
  
What happened next was a blur. A moment later Kouga was on the ground, coughing and sputtering, all the while holding... his... um, manhood. A smirk formed at the side of her mouth.   
  
"I was nice before when I said no. You can't really expect me to play the damsel in distress without fighting back, can you? Come now Kouga, I thought you were smarter than that!"  
  
She walked in a circle around him, eyeing him and enjoying the fact that she had put him in this pain in retaliation for her now throbbing wrists. Suddenly his hand shot out in an attempt to grab her ankle, but she was too fast for him. She merely jumped to avoid his grasp and landed next to Inuyasha, putting her arm around him. Inuyahsa shrugged and put his arm around her waist, and they turned to leave.  
  
"Oh and before I leave," she turned and faced Kouga, who looked up at her with tearful eyes. "if you ever touch me again, I'll kill you" With that she turned back to Inuyasha and they walked back to camp.  
  
Inuyasha's eyes fazed back to their normal golden hue. 'Wow, she's a lot different than she used to be. It's weird not having to save her all the time. I kind of miss it... oh well, at least now I have a kick ass fighter on my side, not that I need help.'  
  
She turned and eyed him suspiciously, misreading the look on his face as it was contorted in thought.  
  
"What? I shouldn't defend myself?" she said, sounding annoyed.  
  
"No, I was just thinking that what you did back there was awesome. You kicked his ass!" He hugged her and her eyes immediately changed back to amber. She hugged him back and they slowly made their way back to camp.   
  
"He did WHAT?!" Miroku, Sango, and Shippo cried as Kagome told them what had happened.  
  
"He pinned me up against the tree and yet AGAIN said that I was his. So I kicked him... down there." she giggled.  
  
"What about you Inuyasha? What did you do to him?" the others asked. They knew that Inuyasha wouldn't take too kindly to Kouga touching Kagome, let alone threatening her.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
The others fell backwards, shocked at what they were hearing. "You did... NOTHING?! Why not?"  
  
He smirked, remembering the look on Kouga's face. "She had it under control, and it looked like she was enjoying herself. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to wring the guy's neck, but she was having such a good time, I couldn't bring myself to stop her. He's lucky she didn't kill him on the spot."  
  
Three of the travelers fell backwards yet again, shocked at what they had heard. Inuyasha had avoided a fight with Kouga, and Kagome had threatened to kill her admirer? What was going on here?! 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7  
  
"I love you..."  
  
"Inuyashsa, is that you? Where are you?" Kagome suddenly realized where she was, under the god tree. After walking for what seemed like hours, she recognized something. At that moment she heard heavy breathing and looked up. Her heart broke and she nearly fainted from what she witnessed.  
  
"No... no it can't be..." she whispered to herself.  
  
In the lowest branch of the god tree she could see Inuyasha, but he wasn't alone. He was kissing Kikyo and holding her closely.  
  
"Wh...what are you doing Inuyasha?! Let her go! She's trying to trick you!" she cried, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.  
  
"You?! What are you doing here? I thought I made it clear that I wanted nothing to do with you!" Inuyasha glared down at Kagome, hatred filling his eyes.  
  
"You don't know what you're saying! Inuyasha I love you! You told me that you loved me too!" Kagome was trying as hard as she could not to break down and fall to her knees weeping.  
  
"You mean nothing to me. I love Kikyo. I always have. You could never hope to take her place." He spat the words at her. Kikyo was still in his embrace, and her face was emotionless and cold. Then, as Kagome lost control of herself and began to sob, the miko spoke.  
  
"Did you really think that he could ever love someone like you? He is only using you to get to the Shikon No Tama, so he can use it to revive me. He loathes you." she laughed, the first emotion she had shown.   
  
"NO! INUYASHA! NO YOU TOLD ME... I KNOW YOU LOVE ME!" She could hear them laughing as she blacked out, it was all fading away into a swirling vortex of nothing.  
  
"INUYASHA NO!" Kagome awoke with a start, to find that she was safe in Inuyasha's arms. As soon as she screamed, his eyes shot open and looked around frantically until they came to rest upon the girl he loved.  
  
"What?! What is it?" he asked, clutching her tightly, worried for her safety.  
  
"I...I had a nightmare..." she mumbled, feeling childish for waking him. 'It was only a dream. Don't be so stupid Kagome!'  
  
"What was it about?" He knew that she had screamed his name in her sleep, obviously terrified by the visions she had seen.   
  
"It was nothing. Don't worry about it."  
  
He gently wiped a tear from her cheek and knew she was lying. 'Why won't you tell me?' "You know that I love you and you can tell me anything."  
  
"I know, really, it was nothing." She hugged him tightly and he laid back down beside her. She was soon breathing softly and tightly gripping his shirt, asleep.  
  
'Why won't you talk to me Kagome? I want to make you happy again.'  
  
As Kagome walked along with the others, traveling as they had been doing all day, she paid little attention to her surroundings, even ignoring the fact that it was almost dusk.   
  
'Did that dream mean anything? No, it was just a dream, a bad dream. It meant nothing.' Her mind was racing and her heart was aching. She had never felt so strangely before. As if he could feel her pain, Inuyasha looked at her and caught her glance. She quickly looked away and he knew that something was wrong.  
  
'What did I do? I don't think I did anything to offend her. Then again, half the time when she's mad it's because of something I did. Am I really that insensitive? She's supposed to be my mate and all I do is bring her pain.' He frowned at the last thought that passed through his head before raising his head quickly, sniffing the air.  
  
"Demon blood, not far away. It's, it's Sesshomaru!" he yelled before taking off after the foul smell.   
  
"I sense Naraku..." Miroku warned. "I think... he's fighting Sesshomaru..."  
  
"He is, I can sense Naraku's shards. We have to hurry! Come on!" cried Kagome, firmly gripping her bow and running after Inuyasha. The others followed without a reply.  
  
"You are a weak waste of life and energy Sesshomaru. I guess it runs in the family." Naraku smirked as he noticed Inuyasha running towards the battle.  
  
"What are you doing here?! Why are you fighting Naraku? This is my battle, so back off!" Inuyasha yelled angrily at his demon brother.   
  
"You think I'm fighting for you? Think again. I'm fighting this poor excuse for a demon because... oh wait, you're a hanyou aren't you Naraku? Yes, I can smell it clearly on you. You are almost as weak as my poor excuse for a brother. I require the Shikon no Tama, so make it easy on yourself and give it to me now Naraku. Who knows? Maybe I'll spare you." retorted Sesshomaru.  
  
Naraku glared angrily at him. "YOU beat ME?! Ha, I'd like to see you try."  
  
And he did. With those last words, Sesshomaru leapt at Naraku, startling him with his speed. Naraku fought back, a scowl on his face the whole time. He had obviously underestimated his opponent, who was now drawing the tensaiga.   
  
At this moment Kagome and the others burst from the forest onto the battlefield.   
  
"Kagome leave NOW!" Inuyasha yelled, trying to break her stare with Naraku.   
  
"I can't, I have to see him die! I have to know that he is gone. He MUST die!" she yelled, startling even herself with the fierce tone of her voice.   
  
She was hungry. Blood hungry. Her eyes were scarlet once more, and she could feel her blood pulsating through her veins. Her claws were growing to twice their normal length and she was immune to the cries of Sango, pleading with her to stay back.  
  
After a long battle, Sesshomaru had dealt Naraku a crippling blow to the head and he was lying in a heap on the ground. Kagome had lost all of her human tendencies and conscience when she sensed Naraku's weakness and bounded towards him, landed in front of him, and ripped at him with her claws, tearing away muscle, sinew, and bone.   
  
"Back off weakling, this is my battle." Sesshomaru said quickly, too absorbed with himself to notice her change. She turned and growled at him so menacingly, even he momentarily and subconsciously shuddered. He looked in her eyes and down to her body, turned to his little brother, and asked, "Why didn't you tell me that she was a sealed full dog demon?" 


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8  
  
"She's a WHAT?!" yelled Inuyasha. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. 'No, I would've known earlier! She can't be a full blooded demon! I would've smelled it on her!'  
  
"You heard me. She a full blooded dog demon. Someone must have sealed her powers..." Sesshomaru stated. 'I never expected that poor excuse for a human to be a youkai. She's always been so weak, yet I can sense a growing power in her.'  
  
Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, and Shippou were silent, watching Kagome tear through what remained of Naraku.  
  
"She's...a demon?" muttered Inuyasha, half to himself. 'How could I have not known that she was a demon? All along... I thought she was just a human, then a hanyou...' He stared at her as she ripped through Naraku's dead body. This wasn't the girl that he loved. He knew that the real Kagome had to be in there somewhere.  
  
Kagome looked up from her task of slaying the carcass that was once the hanyou who posed a threat to them. Her eyes were dead, and she searched for her next victim. Her eyes came to rest on Sesshomaru and a devilish grin formed on the face that once showed emotion, but was now void of thought.  
  
"Do you really think that you would survive a battle with me, bitch? I will kill you before you can so much as whimper." he stated grimly.  
  
She said nothing, but leapt at him with blinding speed. Sesshomaru raised his sword, steadying himself. She landed behind him and he did a perfect back flip to get out of her striking range. She still had a smug grin on her face, and raised her head, giving him a view of her inflamed eyes.   
  
Inuyasha and the others just gaped at what was playing out before them. She was fighting Sesshomaru, and she had just killed Naraku. This wasn't the kind, devoting, warm-hearted Kagome that they knew. This was a monster who had taken the form of her. They still had to help her; she had to be brought back to her senses. But how could they?  
  
"Kagome..." Sango said quietly.   
  
She feared for her safety. What if Kagome was wounded or worse in her fight with Sesshomaru? He was more powerful than Inuyasha, and Kagome had only been a demon for about an hour. She had no experience, and Sango was sure that she would be killed if she wasn't returned to normal as soon as possible.  
  
Kagome growled as she ran towards Sesshomaru, who tried to slash her with his sword. She easily dodged it and merely pushed the blade aside. Without so much as a breath, she slashed at his chest, making several deep gashes. He jumped back in surprise, and she followed him, fighting to get a piece of him. He realized that he, like Naraku, had underestimated his opponent. He jumped to a nearby tree, landing nimbly on a branch, and was gone moments later.   
  
Kagome was about to go after him, when she suddenly smelled fear. She turned and saw Sango, Miroku, Shippou, Kirara, and Inuyasha. She growled in Inuyasha's direction and tore after him. He had to think quickly. 'What does she do to turn me back?! Damn I forgot, she doesn't have a rosary...' he thought, jumping away from the others to lure Kagome away from them.  
  
Kagome had one thing on her mind, 'KILL, MUST KILL!' She was feet away from Inuyasha when he got an idea.   
  
"KAGOME I LOVE YOU!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, hoping that it would work. She skidded to a stop in front of him and he caught her in his arms, kissing her hard on the mouth. She fought it at first, scratching and pawing to break away from his strong grip. Then she closed her eyes and when she reopened them they were back to their hanyou gold. She sighed and passed out, falling deeper into his grip.   
  
"We have to get her to Kaede's" Inuyasha yelled at the others, who simply nodded and ran to help him.  
  
"Inuyasha?" Sango murmured. He turned and looked up at her with cheerless eyes and tear stained cheeks. "Kagome will be fine. Why don't you go eat or talk to Miroku?"  
  
He responded by pulling Kagome into his lap and hugging her tightly. He smelled her hair and played with it, letting it softly glide through his fingers. He had stood watch over her since they had brought her back to Kaede's village 3 days ago. He hadn't eaten or slept at all, too scared that something bad would happen if he broke his silent vigil.  
  
Sango left the hut, leaving Inuyasha with an unconscious Kagome and his grief.  
  
"He won't leave her." Sango told Miroku and Shippou, who were sitting silently by the fire they had made, staring into the cinders.  
  
"I can't imagine how he must feel. He feels like he is to blame for this, though he took no part in it." Miroku stated softly. He had lost sleep for fear of the welfare of his friends lately as well.  
  
Shippou merely sniffled and held tightly onto Kirara's fluffy tail. He shut his eyes tightly to keep the tears from falling.  
  
Kagome could hear a sniffling sound around her and she tried to tell who it was. She could feel that she was being held, and soft hair was falling onto her face.   
  
"Inu... Inuyasha?" she whispered, trying to open her eyes. The grip on her tightened and she felt warm as he held her. She could feel his eyes beaming down at her.  
  
"Kagome?! Kagome are you awake?" he asked, afraid that it was a dream. He held her close, praying that if it were a dream, he would not be awakened. She slowly opened her eyes and gave him a weary smile.  
  
"Inuyasha... I..." she tried, but was too tired and weak to finish.  
  
"Don't push yourself." he said calmly, silently thanking the Gods for letting her return to him as tears fell down his cheeks.  
  
"Inuyasha... I love you..." she breathed before falling back to sleep. 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9  
  
Kaede walked into the hut with some bowls containing herbal remedies and medicines for Kagome. She looked down at the girl, who had been awake for almost 5 days. She was able to sit up by herself, but hadn't tried to stand yet.   
  
She was still weak from her battle with Sesshomaru and Naraku, yet she had no visible wounds on her body. Inuyasha hadn't left her side for more than an hour at a time since they had brought her back, and even then only when he had to hunt.  
  
"Inuyasha, you must leave." Kaede said lightly. She didn't look up from her work of mixing various plants as she spoke.  
  
"I'm staying right here." Inuyasha replied flatly. He had abandoned his arrogance when Kagome had transformed, and now only worried himself with caring for her, not hiding his emotions.  
  
"Inuyasha I can't treat her while you're in the room."  
  
"Inuyasha, I'll be fine. You can come back in after a few minutes. I think I have to undress for Kaede to treat me."  
  
Inuyasha slowly rose and walked to the door of the hut.   
  
Without turning he said, "I don't know why you care Kagome, it's not like I haven't seen it before." He pushed the mat covering the doorway out of his way and strode out without looking back.  
  
Kagome blushed profusely and Lady Kaede chuckled.  
  
"Well now, he's a bit forthright, isn't he?" Kaede noticed.  
  
Inuyahsa sat outside of the hut, watching Shippou color a picture of what looked like Kagome in her demon form. Her eyes were crimson and her fangs and claws were longer than when she was in her hanyou form. She was baring her teeth and the others were standing next to her, looking scared.  
  
"Shippou, don't show that picture to Kagome." Inuyasha warned. He knew that she didn't want to think about what had happened when she had changed. She was glad that Naraku was gone, but was shaken when she was told that she had gone after Inuyasha.  
  
"Why not Inuyasha?! This is a good picture! It took me a long time!"  
  
"It would make her sad. Don't show it to her." Inuyasha explained. Shippou nodded silently and drew a new piece of paper to draw on.  
  
Inuyasha looked over to find that Miroku was once again trying to grope Sango. However, he didn't get very far.  
  
*WHACK*  
  
"HENTAI! YOU ARE SUCH A PERVERT!!!" Sango screamed. She beat him over the head mercilessly and he fell to the ground, unconscious.  
  
Inuyasha smirked and closed his eyes. He was glad that some things remained constant, even if it was only the fact that Miroku was a pervert.  
  
"Inuyasha?" A soft voice broke him from his peace. He looked up to see a figure standing next to him.  
  
"Kagome?! What are you doing up? Go back in the hut and get some rest!" he yelled. He immediately stood and put his arm around her, helping her walk back inside.   
  
'Don't push yourself Kagome! I want you to heal quickly. I need you to be safe.' he thought to himself.   
  
As if reading his thoughts she said, "Inuyasha, I'm fine. I can walk now, and Kaede said that I should be fully recovered in about 2 days."  
  
"That's great news, but I don't want you to push it. You don't need to be walking around yet. We can try it out tomorrow, and if you're strong enough, you can go on a walk with me. Alright?" he added, looking into her eyes, hoping not to sound too commanding.  
  
She nodded and hugged him before lying down to rest. "Thank you Inuyasha. What would I do without you?"  
  
He sat down beside her and played with her hair absentmindedly as she drifted off.  
  
'You'd be in a lot less pain without me.' He thought with a frown.  
  
Kagome woke to the sound of Inuyasha yelling. "NO! I won't go with you... LEAVE KIKYOU!"  
  
"I know that you love me Inuyasha, what you have with that reincarnation of mine is merely an infatuation. You would never betray me, not again." she whispered.  
  
"I never betrayed you. I... I owe you nothing!" he replied, the fury rising in his voice.  
  
Kagome had heard enough. She slowly rose, pushing herself off the wall for support. It was no easy task, and her legs were numb with pain from overworking them before they were healed. She staggered to the doorway, gripping onto her bow and slinging her quiver over her shoulder. She knocked an arrow onto her bow and tediously walked outside of the hut.   
  
She turned to her right, and in a clearing about 50 feet away, she saw them. Inuyasha was backing away from Kikyou, who was slowly moving towards him. She moved in close to him and put her hand on his chest.   
  
"You love me. Don't fight it." She stated coolly. He had stopped moving away, and his eyes hadn't left Kikyou's.   
  
Kagome had gone unnoticed, until she pulled back her arrow and released it, hitting Kikyou in the shoulder.  
  
"Don't touch him." She said grimly. "I'll kill you Kikyou, like I should have done before."  
  
Kikyou eyed her amusedly and pulled the arrow from her shoulder. "So it's true... you are a hanyou. You must think that you're powerful now. You'll never be more powerful than I."  
  
Kagome was so angry that she forgot about Inuyasha and the others, who were unconscious and off to the side at his feet. They had obviously been attacked by Kikyou before Inuyasha had come to their rescue, only to fall under her spell again. It was as though flames were lapping at Kagome's skin. She could feel an indescribable blaze of heat rise in her body, filling her senses and flowing through her veins.   
  
"You're a damn idiot. I'm not a hanyou. I'm a demon, and I'll tear you to pieces, just as I did with Naraku." She had lost all feeling in her voice and her eyes were scarlet and void of emotion.  
  
'What's this change I sense in her? Maybe she wasn't bluffing...' "No matter, I'll kill you easily. You are a mere copy of me. Besides, Naraku was a fool. Anyone could have defeated him." she said coldly.   
  
Kagome, now in demon form, smirked. "You have no idea what you're up against."   
  
With that, she threw down her bows and took a fighting stance. She waited for Kikyou to attack, but she stood doing nothing but staring.   
  
"Coward!" Kagome yelled at her opponent before charging. She stood in front of Kikyou, whose face finally converted to a look of fear. She never thought that Kagome would be this fast. Kikyou motioned to her soul stealers, and they began to swarm around Kagome. With a mere swipe of her claw, they disappeared. Kagome grinned and looked at Kikyou, who was shocked.  
  
"It ends now, bitch." 


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10  
  
Kagome jumped about 10 feet into the air and while coming back down, kicked Kikyou in her ribs, breaking them effortlessly. 'This is going to be fun.' Kagome smirked to herself.  
  
Kikyou stumbled and fell to the ground, looking up at Kagome. 'That damned girl broke my ribs! But how could she be so strong if she were only a hanyou... wait a minute... She... she wasn't bluffing! She really is a demon! My soul stealers have no effect on her! How can I beat her? All I need to do is get away in one piece so I can attack when she is off guard.'  
  
"What's the matter?! You aren't... scared are you?! Ha, I thought so. You're so weak. I thought Naraku was weak, but you?! You're PATHETIC!" Kagome grinned as she ran at her again, but Kikyou was ready. She jumped out of her reach and pulled an arrow back in her bow.   
  
"Inuyasha is mine. I will kill you and he will realize that he never really loved you. He loves me. He always has and he always will. You will never be more than a mere clone of me." She released the arrow, and it hit Kagome just below her collarbone. She staggered back a bit, but looked up with a smug grin. She merely pulled out the arrow and broke it in half. Kikyou gasped and took several steps back. Her arrows had always had an effect on Kagome! Without her arrows she was-  
  
"Worthless." Kagome smirked. She lunged at Kikyou and began to fight her in hand to hand combat. They both knew that Kikyou had no chance of survival.  
  
Inuyasha watched the scene that lay before him with awe. Kagome was fighting... for him? He knew that he loved her and that she loved him back, but she was willing to risk her life to win his love?   
  
'I can't just stand here! I have to do something!' he thought.   
  
He tried to move, but it seemed as though his legs were glued to the spot. He was afraid. He was afraid that Kagome would get hurt. He was afraid that Kikyou would be killed. He didn't love her, but he couldn't hate her. He had to stop them.  
  
"Kagome stop!" he yelled, hoping to catch her attention. Kagome looked unhurt except for the wound inflicted by Kikyou's arrow. He knew that since she was in her demon form, she couldn't feel pain.  
  
She looked up at him and growled, making it obvious that if he wanted to leave in one piece, he would stay back.   
  
Kikyou was in far worse shape than Kagome. She had slashes from Kagome's claws up and down her body, but didn't bleed. Inuyasha pondered on this for a moment and realized something. This wasn't Kikyou. Kikyou wouldn't act this way. This was merely bone and clay. He realized that saving this Kikyou would do no good for Kikyou's soul, or Kagome's. He looked up at Kagome and smiled, letting her know that he had no problem with her continuing. She didn't need his approval.   
  
She kept at her slashing and clawing at Kikyou until all of a sudden she stopped. She took one last swipe at Kikyou, who immediately turned to ash. As she fell, a bright light flowed from the mound that was Kikyou and poured itself into Kagome. Inuyasha knew that this was part of her soul being returned to her. Kagome fainted and fell to the ground, shaking. Inuyasha ran to her without so much as a glance to where Kikyou's ashes lay and held her in his arms tightly.   
  
"Kagome?! Kagome are you alright?!" He brushed the hair out of her eyes and her eyes fluttered open. They were no longer red, but a deep caramel color. He sighed to see that she was alright, with the exception of the wound by her collarbone that she was now feeling. She winced at the pain, but offered him a weak smile. He looked down at her, proud that she was his mate.   
  
"Inuyasha... I had to... I'm... I'm not sorry for what I did..." Kagome said slowly, hoping that he would understand.  
  
"I know. I'm not angry. You did what you had to do."  
  
She smiled at him graciously for the words of comfort and closed her eyes once more, losing herself in her dreams.  
  
"When will she wake up?! I want her to color with me!" Shippou yelled excitedly while looking at the resting Kagome.   
  
It had been a little less than a week after the demise of Kikyou, and everyone was anxious for Kagome to wake up. They were all so proud of her and what she had done. She had beaten her archenemy without anyone else's help. She had fought for Inuyasha. She had finally won.  
  
"Will you shut up?! You'll wake her! She needs her rest!" Inuyasha whispered hoarsely as he hit Shippou over the head. It wasn't as hard as he had intended to be, and he figured that Kagome had changed him more than he realized.  
  
"You're so mean Inuyasha! Kagome's going to sit you when I tell her what you did!" Shippou threatened. It always worked. When he mentioned the s word, Inuyasha always left him. But not this time.  
  
"I don't care! Now leave!" Inuyasha yelled as he picked up the kitsune by the collar and threw him out of the hut. He heard Shippou land with a small thud and start to cry.  
  
'What a wuss!'  
  
He heard something stir and turned to look at Kagome. She had sat up and was looking at him devotedly.   
  
"Inuyasha!" she squealed, lunging at him and capturing him in a bear hug.   
  
He laughed and hugged her back. At that moment, he felt at peace. 'This is what bliss feels like' he thought.  
  
"Kagome, I'm so glad that you're better! I was so worried!" He hugged her even more tightly and inhaled her intoxicating scent deeply.   
  
"Inuyasha, I love you. I love you so much. When I am healed I want to finish it. I want to mate." She stated smoothly.  
  
He pulled away so that he could look into her eyes.  
  
"Are you sure that you're ready? We could always wait..." he said cautiously. He knew that he wanted nothing more, but didn't want to force her into anything if she wasn't ready.  
  
"No, I'm sure. I love you more than I can possibly explain. I want to be with you forever. I want to mate."   
  
He looked into her eyes and smiled, knowing that she was certain of what she wanted. He hugged her and thought of all the times that she had showed him nothing but love and kindness, even when he pushed her away.   
  
"I do to." 


	11. Chapter 11

AN: Wow! It's great to write a story that people actually like for a change! Keep reviewing! WARNING: this chapter contains LOTS of fluff!  
  
Chapter 11  
  
In the days that followed, Kagome found that the pain from her arrow wound gradually decreased until it had disappeared altogether. 'Being a demon is awesome!' she thought happily while rubbing where the wound had been only hours ago. 'I could really get used to this accelerated healing thing...' She stepped out of Kaede's hut after removing her bandages and marveled at how beautiful the scenery and flowers seemed. After she had killed Naraku, it was as if the Earth itself had been cured of a curse of darkness plaguing it's soil and all the beings that dwelled on it.   
  
The sunlight danced on her face as she walked under the trees that enveloped the path that led to the Goshinboku. 'Inuyasha will be there, I know it.' she thought to herself pleasantly before giving in to temptation and skipping the rest of the way.   
  
"Inuyasha?" she beckoned. "Are you here?"   
  
The rustling of leaves, however, answered her question before her beloved hanyou could. Inuyasha leapt from a high branch and landed gracefully in front of the miko.  
  
"Are you feeling better, Kagome?"  
  
Before she responded she silently appreciated the fact that he no longer called her "wench" or made an attempt to hide his concern for her. In a thankful gesture, she pulled him into a loose hug before releasing him to look into his startled eyes.   
  
"What was that for?" he asked, then quickly added "Not that I mind." as an afterthought.   
  
"Just because, and yes, I am feeling better. Thank you for asking." she replied.  
  
He smiled down at her and pulled a strand of hair behind her ear. "I love you."  
  
"And I love you." She whispered before kissing him softly on the lips. 'I'll never get tired of kissing him.'   
  
Inuyasha pulled away and pressed his forehead against hers. 'Now that Naraku is gone we can finally admit our feelings for each other without worrying that it will be used against us. And we can have pups...' he thought, grinning the whole time. After staring into her eyes for several moments, he pulled her into another embrace, which she readily accepted.  
  
"Kagome..." he breathed, "I love you so much. I'll never let anything happen to you, I'll always be there to protect you. I swear that I'll always be with you."  
  
A wave of comforting warmth washed over her body as she heard his promise. She had always wondered what it would be like to love someone unconditionally, and now she knew. She would never stop loving him, no matter what, and didn't doubt his word for a second.  
  
"I know."  
  
Miroku had been following Sango all day in the hopes of striking up a conversation with the demon exterminator, but he had had no such luck.   
  
She had been kept busy all day, helping Kaede and various villagers in their daily tasks. After helping the girl s of the village wash clothing in the river, she chopped wood, helped build a new hut, and even picked rice in a nearby field.  
  
Sango looked up to see that the sun was finally setting. The sun's golden rays fell upon everything in its path and she decided that she needed to rest, she had done enough for the day. Slowly, she finished her work and trudged up the hill to the village. 'I can barely move my legs! Ugh, I am so tired!'  
  
When she eventually made it to Kaede's hut, she fell onto her mat on the floor to get the sleep that she so desperately needed. 'I'm never going to offer to help Kaede again. I swear I heard her laughing when I walked in!' She grunted and rolled onto her side before she heard someone walk in and sit next to her. Annoyed, she lifted one eyelid to glare at Miroku.   
  
"Sango, why so tired?" he asked while grinning.  
  
"You know damn well why I'm tired, houshi! Now let me sleep in peace!" she growled before shutting her eyes once again.  
  
"I'm sorry Sango, I just wanted to be near you." he whispered.  
  
Sango waited for the inevitable presence of a hand on her butt, but it never came. Hesitantly she opened her eyes to find the monk looking at his hand and contorting face as though he was deep in thought.  
  
'I wonder what he's thinking about? Why does he look so worried when his kazaana is gone? He should be happy!' she thought. Her eyes drifted from his hand to his face and she blushed when she found that he had caught her staring.  
  
As if reading her mind, Miroku explained, "I keep wondering what it would have been like if I had never had that curse. My life would have been so different. Would I have met any of you? Would we know each other?"  
  
"I don't know..." she replied softly. She could sense the desolation in his voice and moved closer to him.  
  
"If I had never been under the curse, maybe I wouldn't have been so lecherous. Now that my kazaana is gone, I don't feel like I have to touch every girl I see..." 'Maybe you would love me Sango...'  
  
"Miroku..." Her voice was soothing and he was grateful for her presence. She slowly pulled him into a hug and rested her head on his shoulder. 'His life has been so hard, maybe I can help him heal...'  
  
Miroku was shocked to say the least. Normally, whenever he tried to hug her she would slap him. Now she was hugging him willingly. She even initiated it! He contentedly returned the embrace before whispering, "Sango... thank you."  
  
Pulling away from him, she looked him in the eyes. "For what?"  
  
"You've done more for me than you'll ever know Sango, and for that, I love you." He replied graciously.  
  
Sango's head was spinning. 'Did he just say... he loves me?!' "You... what?"  
  
"I love you. If you don't love me, I understand. But know this, I love you more than anything in the world and I want nothing more than to make you happy."  
  
Once she had a grip on her emotions, Sango spoke. "Miroku, I... I love you too." She blushed a million shades of red and looked at the ground to hide her embarrassment.  
  
"You do?" Miroku gasped. He couldn't believe his ears.  
  
"Yes, I do. I never told you because I was afraid that you would run off with someone else. Someone more pretty or-"  
  
"No one is prettier than you." he whispered before kissing her quickly on the lips. "I love you and only you."  
  
They hugged for a moment and each reveled in the warmth of the other. Sango pulled away slightly and looked into Miroku's eyes adoringly. Her gaze seemed to penetrate his very soul and he quickly broke the silence.  
  
"Sango, will you do me the honor of bearing my child?"  
  
"I thought you'd never ask." she smirked before pinning him to the ground and kissing him as passionately as she'd always wanted to. 


	12. Chapter 12

AN: I'm finally updating this! Now you guys won't be mad at me anymore! This is probably my favorite story that I've written, but I'm not sure... Will you guys do me a favor and read my others and review them too? I think I've written 6 or 7... not sure. Thanks guys!  
  
Chapter 12  
  
"Are you sure that you want to do this, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked soothingly while gently squeezing her hand for reassurance.  
  
"Yes, my family has a right to know," she answered calmly.  
  
Kagome and Inuyasha were standing by the well, getting ready to visit her family and fill them in with all that had changed. It was obvious to him that she was anxious, but he said nothing. 'I have to make her as comfortable as possible. I know that her family will accept her the way that she is.' Before the couple jumped into the well, he pulled her into an encouraging embrace and flashed her a warm smile.  
  
"Thanks, Inuyasha." With that, they jumped across a time span of 500 years.  
  
"Mom? Souta? Jii-chan? I'm home!" Kagome yelled. She heard a door opening and her mother came into view from the hallway seconds later.  
  
"Kagome? Is that you?" she questioned. After she noticed her daughter's physical change, she began to worry. "What happened?! Are you alright?!"   
  
The miko flinched slightly and looked up at her mate for help. He flashed her an alleviating look that silently told her to continue.  
  
"Mom, I'm fine. I need to talk to you about father."  
  
"Oh, I see. Well why don't you and Inuyasha sit down in the living room and we can talk." she replied softly while a look of sadness flitted across her features.   
  
Five minutes later the three were drinking tea and Ms. Higurashi was telling the two a story that neither had heard before.  
  
"You see, when I was younger, about your age Kagome, I too learned about the well. As you know, this shrine has been in our family for generations. On my fifteenth birthday, I was doing as my mother had told me and was raking the leaves around the well house. Then, all of a sudden, I saw a blue light coming from inside, so I walked in. When I opened the door, I saw your father."  
  
"Y-you mean...." Kagome sputtered.  
  
"Yes honey, your father was a demon. An inu-youkai."  
  
Kagome sank into the couch with the weight of this new information. 'Then how did he die?'  
  
"Was he Souta's father too?" Kagome asked.  
  
"No. Souta's father was human. I loved your father very much, but he couldn't stay in our time, so I met Souta's father and fell in love. When he died your father was the only one who could console me. We eventually fell in love again and it was like the old times. He put a spell on you when you were four so that you would remain human until your true power would be awoken. Then, about a year after you had been placed under the spell, he went through the well for the last and final time. I went to look for him about a week after he had left and when I got through, a villager told me that he had been killed by a man named Naraku. I didn't know what to do, so I went home and took care of you and Souta. After he died I was heartbroken and tried to forget about the feudal era and your grandfather decided to tell you stories of demons and monsters that haunted the well house so that you wouldn't find out about the pain that I went through. I never dreamed that you would figure out the secret of the well." After a minute or so, Kagome could smell salt water coming from her mother. She instantly ran to her and hugged her to stop her crying.   
  
"Kagome, Kagome I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you earlier. It just... it hurt so much to remember..." Ms. Higurashi said while trying to contain her sobs.  
  
"What was his name?" Kagome whispered shakily.  
  
"Koratu."   
  
"Mom, I'm just so glad that I know now. I love you." she whispered while embracing her mother. When she had finally calmed down, Kagome told her about what had happened with Naraku.  
  
"So you're coming home then?" she asked happily. Kagome looked over to Inuyasha, then back at her mother and smiled.  
  
"Not exactly."  
  
"I hope that Inuyasha isn't being mean to Kagome." Shippou said while picking herbs with Kaede, Miroku, and Sango.  
  
"I have a feeling that Kagome and Inuyasha will be fighting a lot less now." Kaede stated while the other two humans simply nodded.  
  
"Why? Inuyasha will always be a jerk!" Shippou grumbled while carefully picking a flower from a bush covered with thorns.  
  
"You'll understand someday, Shippou." Miroku chuckled as he grabbed Sango's hand. She instinctively blushed, yet made no attempt to pull away from his grip.  
  
Ms. Higurashi's squeals of joy could be heard for miles.   
  
"Mother! Stop! My ears are killing me!" Kagome pleaded as she tried to keep the shrill noise from reaching her ears by covering them with her hands. Inuyasha was acting almost identically.  
  
"Ooops... sorry dear. But, I'm just so happy for you! When's the wedding?! I want my grandkids now!" she gushed. Kagome blushed a deep red and her jaw dropped.   
  
"Mother?! Jeez!" Kagome fumed. 'Oh my gods, this is so embarrassing!' She glanced over at Inuyasha who wasn't embarrassed in the least. Surprisingly, he looked pleased. When he caught her gaze he merely smirked at her.  
  
"We were thinking of having the ceremony done by Miroku, you know, the monk that I told you about, in Inuyasha's time. Is that alright?" Kagome asked.  
  
"Of course honey, as long as I get to see my baby getting married, I don't care where (or when for that matter) it is."  
  
Kagome ran up to her and hugged her quickly before pecking her on the cheek. "Thanks mom, I love you so much."  
  
"I love you too honey. Just let me know when it will be and I'll come to see it." she said while glancing at her son-in-law to be. "Inuyasha, you'd better keep her happy."  
  
Inuyasha pulled Kagome to him and hugged her tightly before replying, "Don't worry, I will."  
  
"I know you will. Visit again soon you two." Kagome's mother waved as she watched the lovers walk to the well house.  
  
As the two jumped into the well, one last thing could be heard from Ms. Higurashi before she walked back to the house.  
  
"Koratu, if only you could see your daughter now. If only you could have known her..." 


	13. Chapter 13

Please read the author's note! AN: Sorry that I haven't written in a while... It's kind of discouraging to write other fics and not get them reviewed and it kept me from writing. Oh well, this is really the only fan fic that I've written that people seem to actually like... Guess I should just stick with what I know, ne? Even though I was in a bad mood because of my other fics, I'm writing because I'm happy to say that I don't have cancer! Yay! My doctor wasn't sure if I did or not, but now I know for sure... Anyways, here's the story for you!   
  
Chapter 13  
  
"Higurashi? What are you doing here?" asked Hojo. It was 9:15 on a Monday night, and that left the slow-witted schoolboy wondering why she would visit him so late on a school night (not that she wasn't welcome).  
  
"Hi Hojo, I needed to tell you something. Can you talk?" Kagome asked quietly. She hated the feeling that she was about to break his heart. He was a sweet boy, even if he was a bit dense.  
  
Hojo stepped out onto his front porch and shut his front door behind him while keeping his eyes locked on a silver haired boy in strange clothing standing at the end of his driveway. 'Who the heck is that and why is his hair white? Is he here with Kagome?' Inuyasha could feel the boy's piercing gaze, yet made no move to acknowledge his presence.  
  
"Hojo, I won't be seeing you at school anymore," she started.  
  
"What? Are you moving, Higurashi?" Hojo asked quickly. "Where are y-"  
  
"I'm not moving," she muttered quickly, cutting him off. "I'm dropping out of high school."  
  
"But why? You need a good education if you want to go to college, Kagome." A sudden thought came to him. "You're not sick again are you?! What is it? Cancer? I always knew that you were sick, but I never knew that you were dying! Kagome, you should sit down!"  
  
'Oh my god, this kid is an IDIOT!' Kagome mentally fumed. Surprisingly, she showed no sign of anger on her face as she answered Hojo's questions.  
  
"No, Hojo, I don't have cancer. I'm getting married. See that guy over there? He's my fiancŽ, Inuyasha."  
  
Hojo nearly fell over from the weight of this new information. His mind was racing with possible explanations, comments, pleas, responses, solutions, and arguments, yet only one found it's way out of his mouth.  
  
"W-what?!" His voice was quivering as much as Shippo's did when Sesshomaru decided to pay his half-brother a visit.  
  
"Hojo, I know it may be hard for you to understand, and I may seem very young, but I love Inuyasha and I have no doubts about my choice to be with him. I'm sorry." Kagome said plainly.   
  
"I... I see, Kagome. I hope you are happy with him. May Kami bless you both," he replied solemnly. 'I can't change her mind. I could see her love for him in her eyes when she looked at him. I can't compete with that. It's all I can do to wish her the best and try to move on.' (So the kid's NOT a total moron! Go fig!)   
  
After briefly hugging him, Kagome whispered, "Thank you for understanding, Hojo. I'll miss you."   
  
'I'll miss you, too, Kagome.' Hojo thought as he watched the girl he had almost come to love walk away with the man who now held her heart.  
  
"Well, that went better than I had expected." Kagome chimed while walking hand-in-hand with the love of her life to the well.  
  
"I still say he's weak." Inuyasha added.  
  
"Well at least he didn't try to shoot me with an arrow like someone else I know's ex..." she chuckled. Before she had told Inuyasha her feelings and had them returned (more that willingly, might I add) she never would have made such a comment for fear that Inuyasha would take offense, yet now she knew that he wasn't as touchy as originally thought.  
  
"Okay you got me there," he grinned. All of a sudden, on instinct, he wrapped his arms around his mate and pulled her into a kiss. Kagome returned it without hesitation, silently thanking the gods for the well that took her to her Romeo of sorts.  
  
"What was that for, Inu-chan?" Her laughter resembled the light tinkling of bells and it warmed his heart to hear it.  
  
"Just wanted to make sure that this isn't a dream," he replied before pulling her into another affectionate embrace.  
  
AN: Kinda short, but you can't resist the fluff, can you? I didn't think so. 


	14. Chapter 14

Wow... It's been three months since the last time that I updated. I had no idea that it had been that long. Jeez, I'm such a disappointing author! Please forgive me! I'll be good, I promise! I had finals and then my computer was taken away from me, I swear! ^_^  
  
Chapter 14  
  
Sango sighed and desperately tried to break the nervous habit of wringing her hands as she neared Kagome. Shippou, who insisted on showing her his fox magic during the blazing afternoon, was keeping the said miko busy. Sango grimaced as she prepared herself for her best friend's reaction. She dreaded the infamous 'I told you so' that she was bound to receive the moment she told Kagome her news. Taking in a deep breath, the taijiya successfully grabbed the attention of Kagome as she tapped her on the shoulder.   
  
"Oh, hey Sango!" Kagome chirped. She shot her friend a grateful smile before standing and brushing the dust from her school uniform. Sure, she loved Shippou like a son, but she could only sit through his magic tricks so many times before wanting to run in the opposite direction while screaming in frustration. "What's up?"  
  
Giggling inwardly, Sango smiled back. She too had fallen victim to the cycle of Shippou's cries of "See? See what I did?!" and "Don't leave! I have something else to show you! Please?". She shook her head of thoughts and cleared her throat before continuing. "Could I speak to you in private, Kagome-chan? It's important."  
  
"Sure Sango. Shippou-chan, would you mind letting me talk to Sango for a bit?" After some pouting on the kitsune's part and promising of chocolate on the miko's, Kagome and Sango were walking down a fern infested trail toward the river for a bath. It was unspeakably humid out and the hot springs were too warm to bathe in during the daytime.   
  
A comfortable silence settled itself between the girls as each took in the greenery that surrounded them. As they neared the sound of trickling water, Sango spoke up.   
  
"Kagome-chan?"  
  
"Yes, Sango-chan? What is it?" Kagome asked calmly as she began to strip her clothing before lowering herself into the refreshing brook. She broke through the surface of the stream seconds later and flicked her ears to rid them of the water that still clung to them.  
  
Sango did the same before answering. "I have something to tell you."  
  
Kagome smirked knowingly and gave a simple reply. "It wouldn't by any chance have anything to do with the fact that you and Miroku are together now, would it?"  
  
Sango gaped. 'How did she know?!' Kagome seemed to have been able to read her friend's mind and answered the unasked question. "Oh come on, don't look so shocked! I can smell it all over you!"   
  
The taijiya merely smiled before returning to the task at hand, cleaning herself. 'Of course she knew, she's a hanyou!'  
  
Not long after the girls had finished drying and dressing themselves, Kagome turned to Sango and said, "Sango?" She turned to look at the miko in response before hearing, "I told you so." and running after her laughing hanyou friend.  
  
**  
  
Kagome chewed absentmindedly on the deer meat that her mate had handed her minutes before. Earlier that day, the two hanyous had gone hunting and she had caught a deer and two rabbits. After giving them to her love to clean and Kaede to prepare, she was now enjoying the spoils of her work. 'I love him so much. How long is it now until we will be married? That's right, a little less than two weeks... I can't wait!' A warm embrace from behind caught her off guard and a soft squeak escaped from her throat. Moments later, she recognized the hug as one from Inuyasha and relaxed into his hold after putting her food down. Turning around to face her mate, she smiled warmly and placed an affectionate kiss on his waiting lips. "Hey, love," she whispered sweetly as she looked into his tawny eyes.  
  
Inuyasha kissed her back just as fervently before whispering a simple, "Hello," and capturing her lips again. "What are you thinking about?" he inquired softly.  
  
"Guess," she teased tenderly as she reached a hand up to scratch her lover's ears. "I'll give you a hint. He's the only person that I think about anymore," she added with a grin.  
  
Her mate faked a pout. "It had better not be Kouga."  
  
Kagome nipped his nose lightly and giggled. "Guess again."  
  
"Me?" he inquired.  
  
"Dog boy wins a prize!" she replied laughingly. 'Gods, I love this man. Well, hanyou...'  
  
"Mmmm..." he sounded while kissing her neck tactfully. "And what might that be?"  
  
"Hmmm..." Kagome put a finger to her chin in mock thought. "How does ramen sound?"  
  
"How about a kiss, instead?" he whispered huskily into her ear. She shivered at the feel of his hot breath on her skin and had to contain a giggle.  
  
"No I'm sure that you love me," she chuckled before kissing him again.  
  
**  
  
AN: You can never go wrong with fluff, even if it is pointless! That's my story and I'm sticking to it. I'm hoping to break 200 reviews before the story is over. There will only be a few more chapters, but I'm still debating over whether or not I should make an epilogue and/or a sequel. Maybe I should finish my other stories first... Let me know what you think! Don't forget to review, please!   
  
C_Dog 


	15. Chapter 15

AN: I can't remember how long it's been since I've updated this… Sorry to have kept you all waiting so long, I hope you didn't lose hope! As far behind as I fall, rest assured, I won't ever leave this story without finishing it.

Chapter 15

"It's still such a shock…" Sango murmured to herself loudly as she and the others walked behind Kagome and Inuyasha, holding hands and smiling at each other as if they were the only people in the world. Love and devotion shone like a beacon in their eyes, drawing them together and promising an eternity of happiness.

"Yes, if I had been told that those two would be able to go weeks at a time without arguing, let alone that Kagome would become a hanyou, I never would have believed it," Miroku agreed. Although it was a new situation to have the hanyou and miko so open about their emotions, he was glad that the two finally realized the love that he knew had been there all along. 'It's about time,' he added inwardly.

"Anybody in the mood for some Ramen?" Kagome asked, though everyone knew whom the question was really directed towards.

"Of course," smiled Inuyasha. He knew that he would never tire of his miko's ramen, 'Or her smiles, for that matter…' he admitted in his mind.

The others nodded in agreement and soon group quickly settled into a small clearing to prepare for lunch. Sango and Kagome got to work preparing the food with the small metal burner and pot she had brought from her home, while the boys, and Kirara, of course, settled down in the shade under a nearby oak. Several minutes after the girls had begun cooking the noodles, Kagome accidentally brushed one of her fingers against the side of the boiling pot and drew in a sharp hiss of breath as she instinctively pulled her hand back to survey the damage. Upon hearing his love's cry of pain, Inuyasha dashed to her and pulled her injured finger towards him to inspect it.

"I'm fine, it's nothing," Kagome assured. It really wasn't a bad burn, and she knew that she had been in much worse condition when they had collected three shards from a particularly fierce fire sprite several weeks ago. 'Still,' she thought, 'it's cute how he worries about me.'

Inuyasha picked up his future mate carefully, and once sure that she was comfortably situated in his arms, rushed out of the clearing after muttering, "Lake, be back later," leaving Sango, Miroku, Shippou and Kirara standing with their mouths open in shock at how fast everything had happened.

"Well," Sango said after a slight pause, "the ramen's ready."

Kagome lay on her stomach by the water's edge playing with the soft petals of a water lily before she looked up at Inuyasha, who was softly playing with her hair and smiling down at her.

"I take it you wanted some time alone?" she giggled. It had surprised her when Inuyasha had taken her from the others, but after a moment, she knew what was going on, and perhaps it was the fact that Inuyasha had pulled her closer to his body and laughed softly while carrying her that had clued her in as to what he had in mind.

A fang slipped out of his mouth as he grinned at his loved one and leaned down next to her ear whispering in a husky voice, "Now whatever gave you that idea?"

Kagome laughed quietly and rolled over onto her back before pulling her hanyou down to meet her in a flaming kiss. He settled into the embrace and returned it all too eagerly before running his hand from the back of her head to her ears to play with them affectionately. He was pleased when he heard her purr from his tender ministrations and coaxed her mouth open with his tongue to deepen the kiss. 'She's so adorable.'

In the back of her mind, Kagome knew that if they continued at the pace they were going, they wouldn't make it back to the others before sundown, which was several hours away, yet surprisingly, she made no move to slow her beau and his intense kissing but returned it with as much ardor as she could muster. After several minutes of this heated activity, Kagome forced him to lift his right arm and with as much strength as she possessed, flipped Inuyasha onto his back and moved to continue kissing him, only now she seemed to be much more interested with his neck than his mouth. She barely heard the gasp that followed as she grazed a fang across his collarbone, but when she did it made her content to know that she could place the same spell on him that he seemed to cast so easily on her.

'Oh gods… I love it when she takes control like this!' Inuyasha hummed to himself as he concentrated on feeling everything his lover was doing to his body. He instinctively began to run his hands up and down her sides slowly, but smirked when she giggled and shifted away from said appendages when he hit a ticklish spot.

The miko knew what was about to come, but couldn't get away fast enough when she felt Inuyasha react. In mere seconds he had her pinned to the ground with one arm while the other was used to tickle her mercilessly. "No… hahaha… pl…plea- hee hee-se, haha… STOP!" she screeched as he kept on with his painless torture.

Inuyasha smirked in his usual fashion and replied, "What's in it for me?" 'I love to see her beg…'

"I… hehe… I'll -hahahaha- make you … tee hee…. ramen!" she squealed. 'I can't take much more of this!' She struggled as much as she could, but it was futile, and she knew that she'd agree to anything to get him to stop.

"Nope, try again," the hanyou laughed.

"I'll do –hahahahahahaha- whatever… hee hee…. you want!" Kagome gasped breathlessly. His tickling immediately stopped, but Inuyasha still held her in place.

"Anything I want, huh?" he smirked. 'This'll be interesting.'

'Oh crap…'

Review please! Snow days make me happy, but reviews would make them so much better for me! Please??


	16. Help! Please!

Someone please help! I tried to post a chapter in text version yesterday and when I previewed it, it said that it would have breaks and everything, but when I put it up, there weren't any, it was just one big paragraph (check out Chapter 15 to see what I mean). Then I tried to put it up in a .doc form since I have an iMac and says that it accepts those files, but it hasn't changed and it looks the same! If anyone who reads this knows how to fix my little dilemma, please email me at cdog11587 at yahoo and fill me in since I'm obviously computer illiterate. Believe me, I hate it when it ends up looking all squashed together just as much as you do, but I need help to fix it! Thanks! (I bet this will all come out as a giant paragraph too…)

CDog


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